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BE SURE TO<br />
LOOK AFTER<br />
YOURSELF<br />
Your health and wellbeing is of the utmost importance,<br />
especially in the world of business! Be sure to<br />
understand how to look after your health, as this can<br />
have a huge effect on your work ethic.<br />
8Leadership<br />
coach, Anna Jester, shares her<br />
advice on what makes a great leader in a<br />
post-pandemic world.<br />
TIPS<br />
FOR BEING<br />
A GREAT LEADER<br />
HOW IMPORTANT IS<br />
PERSONAL<br />
BRANDING?<br />
Ensuring that all your collateral is on brand<br />
is key for business continuity - including<br />
all your business photography.<br />
ALL ABOARD THE<br />
TRAIN<br />
Ecommerce is ever growing - it can be a great way<br />
to build your business.<br />
BUILDING A<br />
Photography courtesy of Laurence Jones Photography
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LETTER FROM<br />
Welcome to Spring <strong>2021</strong> and slightly surprised to find snow on the ground today! Just<br />
goes to show that we should never be too surprised when life and nature throw us a few<br />
surprises and challenges we weren't expecting. I am especially delighted to see so many<br />
businesses excitedly reopening following the easing of trading restrictions and wish them<br />
all massive success!<br />
Fantastic to have you enjoying the <strong>April</strong> <strong>2021</strong> issue of Talk Business Magazine and our<br />
ongoing thanks to the amazing iPlus Media team for pulling it all together.<br />
A few new features this month including the Meet the Business and Meet the Member<br />
articles. We love to showcase the brilliant individuals and businesses that are in the Talk<br />
Business family and having the opportunity to highlight the inspiring Tidal Training<br />
business and also the fascinating work of Hana Smiddy who juggles a property business<br />
and a flying club! If you feel we could feature your business then please let us know.<br />
Once again we have a video link to one of the Thrive on Thursday sessions we hosted<br />
recently. This time we have Neil Morgan taking us through the Branding Process.<br />
We have a wide range of topics covered including leadership, health, motivation and<br />
features on ecommerce and the Kickstart scheme. Our thanks to all the Talk Business<br />
members for generously sharing their knowledge and experience with us.<br />
Talk Business UK is a membership organisation that develops and organises events and<br />
experiences to help local businesses and organisations from all sectors and sizes to<br />
connect and create opportunities to build long term and meaningful business<br />
relationships.<br />
We would love you to be part of this family.<br />
JONATHAN SMITH<br />
DIRECTOR AT TALK BUSINESS UK
TABLE OF<br />
How to stay healthy and boost your immune system ... 06<br />
Thrive on Thursday ... 08<br />
The Kickstart Scheme ... 10<br />
Building the future; motivating yourself with compassion ... 12<br />
8 ways to be a brilliant leader in a post-pandemic world ... 13<br />
Meet the Member ... 18<br />
Why Print? ... 20<br />
What is personal branding photography? ... 23<br />
<strong>April</strong>’s Business Showcase ... 25<br />
SaddleUp ... 26<br />
All Aboard The Ecommerce Train ... 31<br />
Talk Business Members Directory ... 33<br />
No material may be reproduced in any way, or translated, without written permission of the<br />
publishers.<br />
Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that adverts and articles appear correctly, but Talk<br />
Business Magazine cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly<br />
by the contents of the publication.<br />
The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher or editor.<br />
COPYRIGHT © <strong>2021</strong><br />
Talk Business Magazine is published by iPlus Media.<br />
Editorial & Advertising: hello@talkbusinessuk.co.uk<br />
Telephone: 01789 330 003 | Website: www.talkbusinessuk.co.uk
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TALK<br />
WELLBEING<br />
HOW TO STAY<br />
HEALTHY..<br />
.. AND BOOST YOUR<br />
IMMUNE SYSTEM<br />
As the return to work gathers momentum in<br />
re-opening Britain (again) for business,<br />
staying healthy is our main focus in these<br />
challenging times.<br />
What is the best advice for keeping your<br />
immune system healthy and functioning at its<br />
best to help fight viruses?<br />
As in ‘normal times’ the advice is pretty<br />
much the same: ensure you have adequate<br />
rest and sleep, exercise regularly, eat well,<br />
and stay hydrated. But eating the right foods<br />
and drinking the recommended daily intake<br />
of fluids are particularly vital.<br />
DID YOU KNOW..<br />
..that 70% of your immune system is<br />
based in the gut, so boosting your<br />
immune health through good nutrition,<br />
proper rest and good hydration is<br />
important to help fight off infection?<br />
How can I eat healthier?<br />
Vitamin and minerals — particularly A, C and<br />
E, as well as zinc — play an important role in<br />
keeping the immune system strong so that it<br />
can fight off any germs and illness. Consider<br />
your plate of food and make sure each meal<br />
contains a balanced mix of vegetables and<br />
lean meats or fish, combined with dairy and<br />
healthy fats, and this should deliver what you<br />
need to help keep your immune system<br />
strong.
Prebiotic and probiotic foods support a<br />
healthy gut flora, and this is why it’s<br />
important to eat foods such as fruits,<br />
vegetables, kefir products and yogurts.<br />
Why water is best<br />
Your body needs fluids and electrolytes to<br />
function at its best, especially when you are<br />
suffering symptoms like a fever, coughing,<br />
diarrhea and sickness, which can easily<br />
dehydrate you. Proper rehydration helps<br />
with illness recovery.<br />
Healthy hydration levels can also help your<br />
nose by maintaining the health of the<br />
mucous membrane and decreasing irritation<br />
when coughing and sneezing.<br />
Rehydration drinks and sachets with<br />
electrolytes are readily available in the<br />
supermarket or pharmacy and good to take<br />
relieve symptoms associated with<br />
illness-related mild to moderate dehydration<br />
to replace those lost fluids.<br />
Fizzy drinks and those with a lot of sugar like<br />
sports drinks are not such good choices for<br />
sorting dehydration symptoms resulting<br />
from illness because of their higher sugar<br />
content which can make stomach issues<br />
worse. Plus, sugar is bad for you for other<br />
health reasons.<br />
Plumbed in water coolers and fountains<br />
provide excellent ways to keep your team<br />
topped up. With a small footprint most<br />
brands deliver over 100 cups of chilled<br />
water per hour and comes as a free standing<br />
or desktop model. Instant boiling taps also<br />
do cold and sparkling water as you want it –<br />
3 and 4 in 1 taps do it all.<br />
So, to take the best care of yourself when<br />
returning to the workplace don’t miss meals<br />
or forget to refill your reusable or glass at<br />
the office water cooler. Good nutrition,<br />
hydration, rest and exercise will all help<br />
boost your immunity and help to keep you<br />
healthy.<br />
If you are in need of some PR work for your B2B or<br />
B2C business then get in touch with Pentacom<br />
Marketing & PR:<br />
email at cathryn@pentacomagency.com or call on<br />
07768 410097 or visit www.pentacomagency.com
TALK<br />
MEETINGS<br />
THRIVE ON<br />
THURSDAY<br />
Thrive on Thursday talks have been created to help you and your business take<br />
advantage of the knowledge of leaders in their fields and to grow in your business.<br />
As part of the Thrive on Thursday Marketing sessions, I recently completed a<br />
presentation on ‘The Branding Process’. Brand and branding are issues which affect<br />
businesses of all sizes and it is important that we understand the process.<br />
How does branding fit within your brand journey? What research and planning<br />
should we consider before branding or re-branding? What are the elements that<br />
make branding memorable and successful? What is the importance of the<br />
implementation stage? Why do we need to constantly review the impact of our<br />
branding? These are all questions which are tackled in this presentation.<br />
For those of you who could not make the recent session, you can see my<br />
presentation below.
BE THE LEADER<br />
your eight-year-old self would want you to be<br />
“Working with Anna grew my knowledge around leadership exponentially, enabled<br />
me to recognise my existing values and strengths and build on them – it has<br />
transformed my perception of leadership and of myself.”<br />
VP of finance, global manufacturing company<br />
LEADERSHIP<br />
COACHING<br />
LEADERSHIP<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
LEADERSHIP<br />
CHARACTER<br />
hello@jester-consulting.com<br />
jester-consulting.com<br />
07802 294 857
TALK<br />
OPERATIONS<br />
THE<br />
KICKSTART<br />
SCHEME<br />
WHAT IS THE<br />
KICKSTART SCHEME?<br />
The Kickstart scheme is an idea that the<br />
UK government put forward in September<br />
2020, the idea is to help 16 to 24 year<br />
olds, who are on universal credit and at<br />
risk of long-term employment, to gain<br />
relevant work experience and<br />
employability support to help them get<br />
into long-term work as soon as possible.<br />
An initial £2 billion has been provided for<br />
this scheme, and there will not be a cap<br />
on the number of places available, this £2<br />
billion is intended to provide funding for<br />
over 250,000 Kickstart jobs.<br />
The scheme runs until December <strong>2021</strong> at<br />
present but it is expected that the scheme<br />
will be extended beyond that date due to<br />
the significant take up so far.<br />
The most recent statistics from 4th<br />
February<br />
(https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/res<br />
earch-briefings/cbp-8965/) show that<br />
since the kickstart scheme was launched<br />
over 100,000 job placements had been<br />
approved and over 2,000 young people<br />
had started jobs.<br />
As well as SMEs a number of large<br />
companies have taken part in the kickstart<br />
scheme, companies such as Amey who<br />
have created 60 vacancies and Marks and<br />
Spencer's have created 360 kickstart<br />
vacancies. Excitingly for some lucky<br />
Kickstart employees, our very own local<br />
premiership rugby team, Gloucester, have<br />
also decided to take part in the Kickstart<br />
scheme and they have a number of<br />
vacancies for 16 to 24 year olds to come<br />
and join them in various roles.<br />
Pleasure in the job puts<br />
perfection in the work.<br />
- ARISTOTLE<br />
What does the Kickstart Scheme cost?<br />
Each Kickstart placement lasts 6 months<br />
and the DWP will fund the Kickstart<br />
employee’s salary for 25 hours per week<br />
at the appropriate minimum wage for<br />
their age. Employers can choose to top
much more smoothly and more quickly,<br />
employers are already appreciating the<br />
benefits of the Kickstart scheme even more<br />
and the Kickstart employees are getting the<br />
benefits of the experience, working and<br />
getting employability training to help them<br />
stay off benefits and in long term work.<br />
up the pay and the hours themselves if they<br />
wish but it is not a requirement to provide<br />
any more than 25 hours work per week.<br />
The employers have a responsibility to<br />
provide employability training to their<br />
Kickstart employees which is funded from<br />
the £1,500 grant provided by the<br />
government to each Kickstart employer. As<br />
well as training, the grant is also expected to<br />
cover the cost of equipment, uniforms,<br />
management time, HR costs and other costs<br />
associated with taking on your new<br />
Kickstarter. The Job Guru provides a full<br />
package of training and support services<br />
that have been approved for use by<br />
companies taking part in the Kickstart<br />
Scheme, (for more information please get in<br />
touch by email or visit<br />
www.thejobguru.co.uk/kickstart-scheme).<br />
Taking on a Kickstart Employee should be<br />
cost neutral at the very least and should<br />
provide a benefit to the business through<br />
having an extra pair of hands working for the<br />
business at no additional cost.<br />
Teething troubles<br />
Unfortunately, due to the unprecedented<br />
number of applications the DWP have<br />
struggled to efficiently manage the process<br />
which has left employers disillusioned with<br />
the Kickstart scheme. However, it was to be<br />
expected that they would be teething<br />
troubles with something like this scheme,<br />
especially as the Kickstart scheme is a<br />
completely new idea, it was created at short<br />
notice and at a time when resources were<br />
limited anyway. These teething problems are<br />
being rectified and the process is running<br />
Changes have been made to the Kickstart<br />
scheme already, at the start of February the<br />
government removed the limit of a minimum<br />
of 30 kickstart placements per application<br />
which forced small businesses to group<br />
together or to use gateway organisations to<br />
put an application in. Now employers can<br />
submit an application directly themselves for<br />
one or more vacancies this is a much<br />
simplified process from an employer’s point<br />
of view, they don't need to go through a<br />
third party Gateway, the grant funding is<br />
paid directly to themselves and they have<br />
more control and more awareness about<br />
what is happening. It will be interesting to<br />
see what further changes will be made over<br />
the next few months because the scheme<br />
certainly has a lot of potential benefits for<br />
both employers and for young people who<br />
are claiming universal credit and want to<br />
make sure that they can get back into<br />
long-term work.<br />
More support is now available to Employers<br />
wishing to take part in the Kickstart scheme,<br />
for example to make it easier to apply to<br />
take part in the Kickstart scheme the DWP<br />
have created a page on their website with<br />
tips on completing the application<br />
successfully https://bit.ly/3sEUep6.<br />
Companies such as The Job Guru<br />
(www.thejobguru.co.ukkickstart-scheme) are<br />
providing additional support with webinars<br />
providing information about the scheme,<br />
helping with the application process and<br />
providing HR support and Employability<br />
training that is required under the scheme.<br />
For more information about the scheme please join<br />
our next webinar www.thejobguru.eventbrite.co.uk,<br />
or you can learn more by:<br />
visiting www.thejobguru.co.uk/kickstart-scheme or<br />
getting in touch at kickstart@thejobguru.co.uk
FUTURE;<br />
MOTIVATING YOURSELF WITH COMPASSION<br />
This has certainly been a year like no other.<br />
With the effects of the pandemic still<br />
difficult for many businesses, uncertainly<br />
and upheaval will continue to play a huge<br />
part in our lives. Many will face the task of<br />
rebuilding or rebranding their business and<br />
the motivation required to do this can be<br />
difficult to access in the face of the fatigue<br />
we are all experiencing.<br />
Many of us have learned to motivate<br />
ourselves in a highly competitive and<br />
individualised world by being hard on<br />
ourselves and in many ways this strategy<br />
may have been rewarded, though at what<br />
cost? Research has shown that practicing<br />
self-compassion, self-encouragement and<br />
acting as your own ally or coach during<br />
stressful times is a better indicator of<br />
sustainable success than harsh self-criticism<br />
which can set up a vicious cycle of a fear of<br />
failure and inability to persevere and try<br />
again. Perseverance and stickability are<br />
qualities that are needed by all business<br />
owners, especially now. The recovery phase<br />
will also require a certain level of innovation<br />
and creativity which are all hampered by the<br />
unhelpful strategies of the inner critic who<br />
generally compares us unfavourably to the<br />
next person.<br />
Some may fear that self-compassion will<br />
make them weak, lazy or self-indulgent, but<br />
the research shows that people with higher<br />
levels of self-compassion are generally more<br />
proactive and can create a sense of inner<br />
safety which helps them to confront their<br />
mistakes and failings, make positive changes<br />
in their lives and continue to set themselves<br />
high goals.<br />
There is more to self-compassion than being<br />
kind. It is the motivation to be helpful and<br />
not harmful and about developing the<br />
courage to recognise and admit the<br />
difficulties we face and the wisdom to know<br />
how best to help ourselves through. It’s also<br />
about recognising our shared common<br />
humanity and that although at times we can<br />
feel alone and be tempted to withdraw the<br />
reality is that every successful business has<br />
had its fair share of failings and mistakes. It’s<br />
about developing the resources within<br />
ourselves, to keep going through adversity.<br />
Next time you notice your inner critic<br />
discouraging you and demotivating you,<br />
crank up the part of you that best knows<br />
what you need to keep moving forward. The<br />
wise part of you that has supported you<br />
through other periods of difficulty. Talk to<br />
yourself with encouraging tones just as you<br />
would support a friend or fellow business<br />
owner. The good news is that<br />
self-compassion can be developed over<br />
time and with consistent practice.<br />
Kirsty Lilley is an experienced and award-winning<br />
mental health trainer, coach and mindfulness teacher.<br />
If you want to know more about Kirsty, head to her<br />
LinkedIn page for her latest updates.<br />
Connect with her today: https://bit.ly/3qz3fyE
WAYS TO BE A<br />
8IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD<br />
Whether we lead an organisation, a team, a project or a specific activity, lockdown has<br />
thrown us a fair few curveballs. With so many of our ways to communicate, connect and<br />
collaborate seemingly turned upside down, there’s been a lot of talk during the<br />
pandemic about the need for a total re-think on how we lead.<br />
However, when we look at the leaders (in all walks of life) who have done a brilliant job<br />
throughout the last 12 months or so, from where I’m standing their leadership approach<br />
hasn't had to change at all. Granted, it might have been delivered slightly differently but<br />
it’s remained entirely focused on the age-old principles of leading others that have never<br />
actually changed (and probably never will).<br />
A TIMELESS RECIPE FOR LEADING OTHERS<br />
In all of the work we do to support successful people to become brilliant leaders, we focus<br />
on eight key ingredients which, together, form a timeless recipe for leading others.<br />
So what are the eight ingredients?<br />
Whether we’re in a pandemic, an economic crisis or a market boom, when these eight<br />
ingredients work hand in hand, the magic happens all round. Leaders feel confident and<br />
informed, teams feel valued and empowered and organisations flourish and fly.
Jester Consulting’s website is having a facelift<br />
ahead of some exciting news next month so get<br />
in touch with the team to find out more:<br />
hello@jester-consulting.com.<br />
ONE<br />
YOU - uniquely you on your A-Game<br />
Any leader can only be a brilliant leader when they understand who they are and<br />
how that determines the way they lead. As a leader, what are your superpowers<br />
(AKA big strengths)?<br />
What are your values and beliefs? Where are you vulnerable and where do you<br />
need help? This is the ONLY starting point on any leadership journey and results<br />
in authentic leaders who are valued, respected and loved.<br />
TWO<br />
HUMAN - human connection trumps all<br />
The pandemic has led to the biggest blend of<br />
personal and professional in history - so<br />
many of us have literally taken our work into<br />
our front rooms, opening up visibility of so<br />
much more of our lives and families than ever<br />
before.<br />
The immediate move to normalise and<br />
embrace this from Jacinda Arden on the eve<br />
of the first lockdown decision in New Zealand<br />
role modelled a human approach superbly -<br />
watch it here. Human leaders prevail.
FELT - feeling first and foremost<br />
‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will<br />
never forget how you made them feel.’ (Maya Angelou).<br />
Even the toughest conversations can leave people feeling valued, respected and<br />
heard. Leaders who openly share how they feel and demonstrate compassion<br />
leave an aura of good feeling. Check out a brilliant pandemic example of this<br />
from the Marriott International CEO, Arne Sorenson here.<br />
FOUR<br />
TUNED - we learn nothing when we’re talking<br />
Leaders who listen, deeply, are lifelong learners and get things right, so<br />
much faster, with the support of the people they serve.<br />
One CEO we support set up company tribes the minute the pandemic<br />
hit for homeschoolers, live-aloners, parents of young adults, gym<br />
missers - and more. It resulted in immediate support<br />
networks and a way for her to hear the needs and<br />
challenges of her people firsthand. Brilliant leaders<br />
tune in.<br />
Leaders need to connect with both the left<br />
and right-brain, the visual, audio and written<br />
learners, the introverts and extraverts, the<br />
‘thinkers’ and the ‘feelers’. If you’re a leader,<br />
it’s essential that you mix up how you<br />
communicate across a variety of platforms<br />
(even those where you feel less comfortable).<br />
There’s no one size fits all, even in a<br />
pandemic. Creating communication that has<br />
different colours and is accessible to all is<br />
also vital.<br />
CHAMELEON - don’t just be<br />
one colour and always mix it up
RESPONSIVE - everyone<br />
has a plan until...<br />
‘Everyone has a plan until you get<br />
punched in the face.’ (Mike Tyson).<br />
Being responsive as a leader is about<br />
more than having a plan B, C and D. It’s<br />
about responding to the human being,<br />
the emotion, the question in front of<br />
you.<br />
The leaders who are there, visible,<br />
available always and who say, ‘right<br />
now, I don’t know, but I’m fighting with<br />
every fibre of my being to work it out’<br />
have triumphed through the pandemic<br />
(and always will).<br />
SEVEN<br />
CURIOUS - beyond the seen and heard<br />
The definition of curiosity is to be eager to know or learn something. When we demonstrate<br />
curiosity with our teams, colleagues or customers - it feels great for them and it unlocks<br />
insight we would never get to otherwise.<br />
We suggest leaders ask at least two totally open questions at the start of every conversation,<br />
one to one or with the team. Even in the midst of challenge, make space for curiosity.<br />
EIGHT<br />
FUN - Jestology in all times<br />
Leaders who laugh and help others to laugh create a culture of openness, learning and fun.<br />
Fun is so much more than jokes, it’s activating the power of storysharing, connecting<br />
through celebration, laughing through shared experience. We call it Jestology and it’s an<br />
essential ingredient in the leadership mix, in good times and in times of challenge.
TALK<br />
MEMBERS<br />
MEET THE MEMBER<br />
Thank you for agreeing to be<br />
interviewed for the latest Talk<br />
Business Magazine and in this<br />
interview, we want to get to<br />
know the member better to<br />
share with our readership.<br />
What is your name?<br />
Hana Smiddy<br />
MEET<br />
HANA SMIDDY<br />
What do you do for a living?<br />
I’m Assistant to Michael<br />
Plomer-Roberts MD of Mike Roberts<br />
Property and Take Flight Aviation<br />
Ltd.<br />
What is the name of your company<br />
or the company you work for?<br />
I work for both Mike Roberts<br />
Property where we own and<br />
manage a portfolio of 10-character<br />
commercial properties inclusive of<br />
6 multi tenanted, fully serviced,<br />
business centres in Warwickshire<br />
and Take Flight Aviation where we<br />
offer aircraft hire and flight training<br />
up to PPL (Private Pilots Licence)<br />
Where are you based?<br />
Warwickshire and Oxfordshire<br />
How would you<br />
describe your<br />
job?<br />
As Assistant to<br />
an incredibly<br />
busy and<br />
creative MD like<br />
Mike I would<br />
describe my job as a heady mix of<br />
the mundane and the inspired!<br />
Along with generally running the<br />
businesses; monthly invoices,<br />
purchase ledger, service charge<br />
management, leases, viewings,<br />
renewals, maintenance, general<br />
sales,<br />
marketing and<br />
tea making I<br />
organise<br />
insightful<br />
events for the<br />
members of<br />
Take Flight<br />
Aviation.<br />
I’m also mentor for our Apprentices<br />
and feel very passionate about<br />
offering educational days and work<br />
experience to schools, colleges and<br />
organisations like the Scouts and<br />
Guides. We also offer charities a<br />
thrilling way to raise awareness and<br />
funds by completing the Loop the<br />
Loop Challenge!<br />
Something really exciting I’m are<br />
working on is ‘Cockpit<br />
Conversations’, a new series on our<br />
You Tube channel, where we take<br />
people off the air into the air and
have a chat while flying over their home<br />
town.<br />
Lockdown restrictions has slowed us down<br />
a little but now flying is back from <strong>April</strong><br />
12th we’re raring to go. We have some<br />
amazing guests lined up! Check out<br />
previous episodes here:<br />
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAMqWFpKOhKRaCsj<br />
U8YKZz0lr9Y2jXU2M<br />
How long have you been doing what you<br />
do?<br />
7 years<br />
Do you have a typical client profile and<br />
what is it?<br />
Mike Roberts Property would be ideal for<br />
the business owner looking to move out of<br />
their home office and into a more<br />
professional space with character. A<br />
business owner who has a larger HQ office<br />
but looking for a regional office where they<br />
can offer less of a commute and social<br />
distanced working but still within a town<br />
that caters for their staff, on the high street,<br />
with all the amenities. Finally, larger<br />
businesses looking to downsize, which is<br />
more common as a result of the pandemic.<br />
Take Flight Aviation is looking for the<br />
aviation enthusiast; the current pilot<br />
looking for the best hire rates and terms<br />
out there. We have no restrictions hire, if<br />
you need a plane for the whole day, the<br />
weekend or even a week, Take Flight are<br />
for you. We are also looking for the future<br />
pilot seeking to gain their pilots licence<br />
and be surrounded by inspirational people.<br />
Any organisations looking to host a unique<br />
event or offer sales incentives can find<br />
assistance at Take Flight, and finally,<br />
people wanting to buy that special gift, a<br />
gift of flight!<br />
What do you enjoy about what you do?<br />
I love the people. I feel inspired by people<br />
and their passions. I get that with both the<br />
property tenants, when they’re excited<br />
about their businesses and their teams’<br />
successes, and the members at Take Flight<br />
Aviation. There is something very special<br />
about being on the ground when a student<br />
pilot lands from their very first solo flight.<br />
What do you do outside of work to relax<br />
and unwind?<br />
I hang out with my son and husband. We<br />
love walking our dog Lando (our crazy<br />
Springer Spaniel) and Hayden and I love<br />
roller blading in the park. I’m also learning<br />
how to play Fortnite so I can team with my<br />
son - I was a fan of Super Mario Brothers<br />
circa 1996 – the games are so different now<br />
though! I love to read and listen to<br />
podcasts. I really enjoy the gym and can’t<br />
wait for the Body Pump class to come back<br />
soon.<br />
What is your favourite cake?<br />
My favourite cake is any cake - I couldn’t<br />
chose – they’re all too yummy! I love to<br />
bake so there is always a cake of some sort<br />
in the house (hence the ‘looking forward to<br />
the gym reopening)<br />
Tell us one<br />
thing that<br />
people would<br />
not know about<br />
you?<br />
People may not<br />
know I’m a<br />
Scout Leader,<br />
1st Leek<br />
Wootton Beaver<br />
Scouts, and I<br />
celebrate 5<br />
years’ service this year. My claim to fame is<br />
that I was the first ‘girl’ Scout! I never<br />
fancied girl guides and my mum was a<br />
Scout leader. When they said girls could<br />
join the scouts which was only for boys… I<br />
was the first in the queue!<br />
How can people get in touch with you or<br />
connect with you?<br />
We are everywhere on the socials you’d<br />
expect to see us, so do check us out.<br />
I can be found on LinkedIn: Hana Smiddy |<br />
LinkedIn or you can email me at<br />
office@mikerobertsproperty.com, or on the<br />
telephone here 07432 321 615.
TALK<br />
MARKETING<br />
WHY<br />
PRINT?<br />
In an era of digital domination does print<br />
still have purpose? In this article we take<br />
a look at why printing is still relevant and<br />
why marketers should use print media to<br />
stand out from their competitors and<br />
attract audiences.<br />
WHY PRINT?<br />
It is more important than ever for brands to<br />
maintain their share of voice and to ensure<br />
that creative communication is more<br />
relevant and engaging than their rivals.<br />
How can this be achieved when it is so easy<br />
to get lost in the day-to-day competitive<br />
world of social media and digital<br />
marketing?<br />
This is where print cuts through the noise;<br />
when used thoughtfully print marketing<br />
can produce fantastic business results, and<br />
here’s why….<br />
DIGITAL OVERLOAD<br />
- Consumers today constantly face more<br />
and more information online - people are<br />
overloaded with digital information.<br />
“Mail is open, read or filed giving it a 94%<br />
engagement rate, compared with an email<br />
open rate of 20% and click through rate on<br />
online advertising of 5-10%.” - Royal Mail<br />
Market Reach.<br />
A QUESTION OF TRUST<br />
- Print is seen as an honest, dependable<br />
source, when compared with digital media.<br />
The term ‘fake news’ is often banded about<br />
with the validity of online sources often<br />
being questioned.<br />
“Print advertising is trusted by 82% of<br />
respondents, compared to just 43% for<br />
social media advertising.” - Marketing<br />
Sherpa<br />
PRINT GETS NOTICED<br />
- Print is tangible, you can touch and feel it.<br />
You can pick different materials and use<br />
various printing techniques to provide a<br />
sensory appeal that words on a screen just<br />
can’t compete with.<br />
BETTER RETENTION RATES<br />
- Digital media is often ignored, deleted or<br />
scrolled past but studies have shown that<br />
consumers have better retention rates<br />
when consuming print, coupled with this,<br />
print is longer lasting;<br />
“A piece of mail can remain in a home for<br />
more than 28 days, reinforcing a message<br />
for a month, and giving the brand presence<br />
in the home.” - Nicky Bullard, Chairwoman<br />
& Chief Creative Office MRM/McCann &<br />
Royal Mail Market Reach<br />
GDPR COMPLIANT<br />
- Working from home has become the<br />
norm for many, now is the ideal time to run<br />
a targeted direct mail campaign. In
addition consent is not required from the<br />
consumer to mail them in their own home.<br />
WORLD LEADER IN<br />
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
- The print and paper industry is a world<br />
leader when it comes to sustainable<br />
materials, renewable energy and recycling.<br />
‘Go Paperless – Go Green’ is one of the<br />
world’s biggest myths and is known as<br />
Greenwashing. Paper remains one of the<br />
best environmentally friendly media.<br />
PRINT AND DIGITAL<br />
However, having said all this there is no<br />
denying that digital marketing is here to<br />
stay, the best way to get results is therefore<br />
to combine print and digital marketing.<br />
Print can be used effectively to increase<br />
traffic to digital channels this can be<br />
achieved by, for example, using social<br />
media handles on printed material, QR<br />
codes linking to websites, unique URLs or<br />
even SMS codes which enable potential<br />
customers to connect online. These<br />
techniques can lead to increased response<br />
rates and greater tracking of leads.<br />
Combining your digital marketing with<br />
print creates a dynamic marketing strategy<br />
that will reach your target audience and<br />
deliver return on investment.<br />
For more information about the benefits of<br />
print, read the Why Print? white paper<br />
produced by Prontaprint by clicking here;<br />
www.printers.prontaprint.com/reports-publications<br />
For more information on Prontaprint, please visit:<br />
www.printers.prontaprint.com or email us on<br />
hello@printers.prontaprint.com
WORKSHOPS<br />
OFFICES<br />
Flexible Terms, Co Working Space,<br />
Serviced Offices, Workshops,<br />
Storage. Ideally located near M1<br />
Situated in Northamptonshire and it is the<br />
perfect creative environment to work in.<br />
STORAGE<br />
E: space@the-depot.uk T: 01327 341303 W: the-depot.uk
TALK<br />
MARKETING<br />
WHAT IS<br />
PERSONAL<br />
BRANDING<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY?<br />
AND WHY IS IT<br />
DIFFERENT FROM A<br />
HEADSHOT?<br />
BRANDING PHOTOS -<br />
Branding photos for a TV presenter and vet based<br />
in the Cotswolds.<br />
For a small business owner, an online<br />
presence is a necessity. For many business<br />
owners who offer a personalised service,<br />
that online presence needs to reflect the<br />
brand values of the business.<br />
It might be being seen as an inspiring<br />
leader, a thoughtful advisor or teacher, a<br />
creative artist or a dynamic coach. It might<br />
include outstanding customer service &<br />
care along with expert status.<br />
The brand shows what someone stands for<br />
and is known for, rather than just their<br />
commercial intent or their local celebrity<br />
status. The brand then helps immensely<br />
with marketing, because the core values
Branding<br />
photographs.<br />
BRANDING PHOTOS -<br />
A few branding photos from the collection of<br />
leadership coach Anna Jester (see also the<br />
cover photo). There’s a consistent splash of the<br />
same key brand colour in most of the images.<br />
are clear, attracting ideal clients while<br />
helping to filter out prospective clients who<br />
aren’t a good match.<br />
But how to best to communicate a brand?<br />
A bespoke collection of on-brand images<br />
that portray the whole ethos, values and<br />
personality of the person is one way. This<br />
is personal brand photography, and it’s<br />
very different to a few headshots. It might<br />
be a portfolio of over 100 professional<br />
images that includes the person in a variety<br />
of roles and locations, reflecting who they<br />
are, their message, the service or products<br />
that they sell, together with personal and<br />
business items that have stories behind<br />
them.<br />
Combined with text that clearly<br />
communicates, these can be used to reveal<br />
the values and journey of the person,<br />
making them much more credible and<br />
relatable. Marketers will recognise this<br />
“high quality collateral”.<br />
With the need to give websites and social<br />
media more & more content, a collection of<br />
images like this can be invaluable,<br />
providing many months worth of content.<br />
It can be tempting to use stock images, but<br />
they are generic and not unique to a<br />
brand. Plus there’s no consistency. To<br />
create your own brand photography<br />
library, a good starting point is to take<br />
photos of the things that have been<br />
important to your business journey.<br />
Anything from your diary, your first<br />
business card, the little things that inspire<br />
you, images that match your mood, people<br />
that helped, where you work, etc. All this<br />
helps build the know, like and trust that is<br />
so important to attract ideal clients.<br />
To create the best photos of small items in<br />
good light, put them close to a window,<br />
but out of direct sunlight, and take a series<br />
of photos while you have everything setup.<br />
Layflat shots, taken from directly above, are<br />
popular.<br />
Perhaps get a friend or two to act as your<br />
clients and create some photos of you<br />
providing your service. Planning of clothes<br />
and location are key. Getting photos of<br />
real (and happy!) clients is a fantastic way<br />
to accompany glowing testimonials. There<br />
are lots of good reasons to start building a<br />
library of images about your business.<br />
The author, Laurence Jones, is a personal<br />
branding photographer based in Warwickshire.If<br />
you are in need of some personal branding<br />
images, please get in touch:<br />
www.ljonesphotography.co.uk
WE INTERVIEWED CLARE SEED FROM<br />
TIDAL TRAINING DIRECT LTD<br />
TALK<br />
SUPPORT<br />
When was the company founded?<br />
<strong>April</strong> 2017<br />
Where is the company based?<br />
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire<br />
How many staff does the company have?<br />
A team of 10 paramedics and first<br />
responders<br />
What does the company do?<br />
Teaches workplace first aid to support HSE<br />
requirements and to give staff the<br />
confidence, skills and knowledge to assist<br />
in the event of a workplace accident, injury<br />
or emergency.<br />
What is your company specialism?<br />
High quality Ofqual regulated safe and<br />
socially distanced face to face First Aid<br />
training, focussing on practical skills such<br />
as CPR how to use a defibrillator, choking<br />
and seizures. We teach all subjects first aid<br />
related from anaphylaxis to wound care<br />
management.<br />
Do you support a charity, if so who and<br />
how do you support the charity?<br />
We actively support several charities and<br />
local appeals. Our key partner is GWAAC.<br />
Director Clare is the Co-Founder of Public<br />
Hearts Cheltenham - raising awareness and<br />
numbers of lifesaving defibrillators in<br />
Cheltenham. Learn more here:<br />
https://tidaltrainingdirect.co.uk/public-hearts-ch<br />
eltenham-24-hr-public-access-defibrillator/<br />
Why is the company a great company to<br />
work for?<br />
With over 120 5-star reviews and a<br />
reputation for outstanding training, what<br />
our clients reflect about us is much more<br />
impactful than anything we could say about<br />
ourselves! Nothing is more important than<br />
helping some-one when they need it most<br />
and that’s what we take the greatest pride<br />
in teaching.<br />
www.tidaltrainingdirect.co.uk<br />
Give our readers an insight to what you<br />
do:<br />
Here’s a poignant story of how vital<br />
learning first aid is, read here:<br />
https://www.facebook.com/dordie.ketley/posts/1<br />
563753680485288<br />
What is the company vision?<br />
To teach first aid and life saving skills to the<br />
best of our ability to help someone when<br />
they need it most<br />
Where are your customers based?<br />
(local, national, international)<br />
England and Wales<br />
How does the company attract new<br />
customers?<br />
Referrals, recommendations and renewals<br />
APRIL’S<br />
BUSINESS
UP<br />
As industries grapples with sporadic<br />
sales, supply chain issues, restructures<br />
and redundancies it is so important<br />
that we stick together, innovate and<br />
demonstrate inherent human values<br />
of generosity, hope and kindness.”<br />
There is still time and energy to<br />
invest in people who have been<br />
made redundant.”<br />
Thankfully, our industry may be<br />
less affected than others, as<br />
customers focus on home<br />
improvements and renovations.”<br />
Fisher & Paykel’s David<br />
Woollcott launches a<br />
not-for-profit to support<br />
redundancies.<br />
Our vision is to reduce the<br />
personal and psychological impact<br />
of redundancy, understand the<br />
circumstances, give hope, show<br />
respect and encourage<br />
meaningful, ‘forward-facing’ steps.<br />
After hearing of a large number of lay-offs, I was<br />
upset and concerned so I sent out quick post to<br />
my LinkedIn network (whilst making dinner),<br />
offering free advice and a listening ear. By 7am<br />
the following morning, this single post had<br />
received 50,000+ views, countless shares from<br />
all over the world, hundreds of heart-warming<br />
words of encourgement and 70 requests for<br />
call! That’s a lot of social media action for<br />
someone who specialises in luxury appliances!<br />
Being the MD of a growing organisation in the<br />
UK, 60 hours per week is the normal. By 9pm<br />
Other industries, like the Arts<br />
and travel are having a torrid<br />
time and have my full<br />
sympathy. I believe the<br />
SaddleUp! vision will work<br />
across all industries.”<br />
I had no idea that people, complete<br />
strangers, would actually want to talk to<br />
me, it was more an offer for those people<br />
who were notified of redundancy that they<br />
were not alone, there is a way forward and<br />
it may be better than the role they already<br />
had!”
that evening, I had completed 3 fascinating<br />
video calls and was booked out until<br />
October. The need was demonstrated by<br />
this small activity and I was determined to<br />
find a wider application and scale it,<br />
quickly. The need is now and this had<br />
quickly become my ‘side-gig.’<br />
“WHO SAYS THAT REDUNDANCY<br />
IS ALWAYS A BAD THING, AT<br />
TIMES IT IS A RELIEF!”<br />
Following a call out on LinkedIn,<br />
appointments were booked.<br />
By mid-August, I have completed more<br />
than 50 calls with would-be strangers to<br />
help them through such challenging times.<br />
It has been an incredible experience, one<br />
which has given way more to me than it has<br />
taken. This is what I have spent some of my<br />
evenings and my weekends doing.<br />
Thanks to the first callers, I now have a<br />
model on which I want to improve and<br />
build on. I want to create a not-for-profit.<br />
Already, many have found their next role<br />
and when they write to me I cannot explain<br />
the happiness I feel, that I was able to help<br />
and encourage an unknown professional,<br />
in their moment of anguish. When we help<br />
one another, without commercial gain or<br />
favour, it is an amazing feeling and it’s<br />
needed now more than ever!<br />
In 18 years, I have directly and indirectly<br />
recruited over 300 people and am<br />
recruiting currently so have a long history<br />
of what stands out, what attitudes are<br />
required and how to ‘SaddleUp!’ I cannot<br />
sprinkle fairy dust or wave a magic wand<br />
but it is amazing what peer-to-peer<br />
encouragement can do; how it can<br />
turbo-charge someone’s self esteem.<br />
The Government is reporting record<br />
redundancies, not seen since the GFC and<br />
companies are planning for the end to the<br />
furlough support arrangements. It’s an<br />
unsettling time and we cannot rely on the<br />
Government alone to find the solutions. It<br />
is businesses, large and small and<br />
individuals who will drive our economy<br />
back to full strength but it will take some<br />
goodwill and charity from our leaders<br />
across all business sectors.<br />
“In reality, we may see that our industry fairs<br />
well as people focus on their home<br />
environments by investing in their kitchens,<br />
bathrooms and gardens. Afterall, the<br />
annual trip to the Med, Cornwall and France<br />
or further afield has been difficult if not<br />
impossible to achieve this year. In the<br />
meantime, companies may well shed staff<br />
to save costs and protect their core.”<br />
The government has spent a fortune<br />
propping up industry and providing a<br />
life-line to most sectors but they have<br />
admitted that redundancies and the social<br />
consequences will be severe in the short<br />
term. The impact on mental health and<br />
families is more severe still.<br />
At this time, the strength of our industry is<br />
in its ability to drive competitive forces for<br />
the good of our customers, whilst sticking<br />
together and collaborating. At Fisher &<br />
Paykel, we understand human values<br />
deeply and are encouraged to lean on<br />
these at all times. If our team can commit<br />
energy to these causes, we are more than<br />
happy to support it.<br />
With this thought, I decided to build a<br />
concept for a small not-for-profit and<br />
commit just 2 hours per week to those who<br />
wanted to talk to me. I have nothing<br />
special to offer, apart from having been<br />
made redundant in the past and having<br />
made redundancies myself, I am also a<br />
good listener and take a deep interest in<br />
people. What I don’t do is give advice!<br />
Both being made redundant and making<br />
redundancies are horrible, emotionally<br />
draining experiences which need<br />
supporting by peers, friends and family. I<br />
decided I can offer this in addition to<br />
leading the changes going on in our own<br />
business. The weekends and evening<br />
provided a window in my diary to connect.<br />
The project is called ‘SaddleUp!’ It only
exists as a small communications platform<br />
on LinkedIn and FaceBook, supported by<br />
friends and experts who are guiding me<br />
through and providing encouragement.<br />
Some of my contacts and colleagues have<br />
been incredibly generous with their time.<br />
This isn’t my typical area of expertise! They<br />
are all seeing the need, they get the<br />
concept immediately and cheering me on.<br />
Many of my friends who have been made<br />
redundant or have suffered a career<br />
wobble wish that they had a free, no<br />
pressure service like this to get started.<br />
I am not a psychologist or trained<br />
councillor, this is important; I don’t offer<br />
advice. But what I do focus on is listening<br />
and steering the professional towards their<br />
own way of thinking, their own plan and<br />
their own future. I then try to chunk it<br />
down into some small steps. This isn’t a<br />
complex skill and I’m confident that I can<br />
find the right people from all sectors to join<br />
me, in time.<br />
Each caller has been at a very different<br />
stage. Some have been furious and<br />
needed someone to vent to, I was happy to<br />
take this call as confronting as it may be.<br />
They can’t shout at their spouse, their<br />
family or their friends but they can tuck into<br />
me! Hearing the relief when they have said<br />
what they have always want to say is<br />
amazing, it’s the beginning of the rebuild.<br />
During the height of the Covid-19<br />
lockdown, pubs and restaurants were<br />
closed, so this avenue of light<br />
relief was also shut off.<br />
across the table takes no pleasure in<br />
making a redundancy. It is often a<br />
commercial necessity to save the business<br />
and the remaining employees.<br />
The vision is to recruit fellow industry<br />
leaders (or leaders outside of my industry)<br />
who have been in a situation, which is a<br />
reality of today’s environment. The truth is,<br />
many learn from the experiences and go<br />
on to do bigger and better things, look at<br />
Oprah Winfrey, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs<br />
and millions of others…. They were all<br />
made redundant and went on to do<br />
amazing things.<br />
My Dad was made redundant in 1980 and<br />
went on to set up his own business, which<br />
was successful, he wouldn’t have done this<br />
without a letter of redundancy. I am also<br />
much happier following my own<br />
redundancy and want to turbo charge this<br />
line of thinking in others.<br />
There are between 50,000 – 100,000<br />
people who are made redundant in any<br />
given month in the UK. That is around<br />
17,000 per week! It is a financial burden, a<br />
mental health issue and a destroyer of<br />
confidence. My vision is to tackle the<br />
mental health issues and the damage to<br />
self-esteem in good time to allow a bounce<br />
back, a Saddle-Up! The economic impact<br />
is also vast. Our ability to bounce back as a<br />
nation and not take a set-back, a national<br />
tragedy as a mortal wound will be<br />
incredibly important. I want to call on<br />
Some were pragmatic and<br />
relaxed but just wanted a<br />
business leader, manager or<br />
mentor with an empathetic ear<br />
to understand the concern and<br />
see it impartially.<br />
I also shared my experience of<br />
redundancy and having made<br />
great people redundant, both of<br />
which were deeply unpleasant. I<br />
think it is important to<br />
understand that the HR Manager<br />
or business leader who is sat
industry and civic leaders in all sectors to<br />
engage very directly with those who are<br />
personally impacted. This means opening<br />
up.<br />
Employers are also terrible at the<br />
redundancy and restructuring process in<br />
my experience. It is full of litigation,<br />
silences, fumbled communications, NDAs<br />
and that all lead to frayed relationships<br />
and potential PR disasters. We need to<br />
understand the human element and treat<br />
each other as equals, as humans. There is<br />
fear on side of the employer as well as on<br />
the side of the employee. I can’t think of a<br />
more artificial, in-humane process from<br />
employers who were once your biggest<br />
supporter. No wonder it feels like a<br />
betrayal.<br />
Long term, I would like to see wider and<br />
longstanding IR and employment reform<br />
where a redundancy process is outlined<br />
before someone is employed.<br />
Competitive and comparative forces will<br />
be then be set up to drive improvements.<br />
Fisher & Paykel has a strong social focus<br />
and an even stronger set of human values.<br />
We apply this to our customers and our<br />
own teams.<br />
SaddleUp! has its own LinkedIn page and<br />
Facebook page but remains in its infancy.<br />
David is working with his contacts and<br />
friends pro bono to build a website<br />
quickly to expand the reach of this free of<br />
charge service. The limits will be my time,<br />
so I need to recruit a team of ‘Saddlers’<br />
from different industry sectors willing to<br />
give up 2 hours of their week.<br />
If you want more information about SaddleUp! find<br />
out more on LinkedIn:<br />
Keep up to date: https://bit.ly/2Qicc2X<br />
- A peer to peer, human to human call<br />
where the Saddler listens to someone in<br />
their approximate industry who has just<br />
been made redundant.<br />
- Experiences and insights are shared,<br />
empathy is shown and a relationship of<br />
mutual respect, encouragement and hope<br />
is built.<br />
- The Saddler can also review past<br />
employment, LinkedIn profiles and CVs<br />
and provide a few hints and tips to get<br />
started and become slowly future<br />
focussed.<br />
- SaddleUp shows that leaders across a<br />
wide category of industry sectors cares for<br />
its people, supports them in challenging<br />
times and understands human frailties.<br />
- SaddleUp also respects companies who<br />
have had to make difficult decisions<br />
- SaddleUp isn’t medical or psychological<br />
and shouldn’t be presented as such.<br />
- SaddleUp doesn’t generate revenue or<br />
refer to businesses who charge fees, it isn’t<br />
a pool for recruiters.<br />
- SaddleUp doesn’t provide fixed advice or<br />
steer conversations.<br />
WHAT’S NEXT?<br />
More research, more fact finding and more<br />
calls. As it exists at the moment, it is<br />
working and of great value for some<br />
people who I am connected with and that’s<br />
good enough for me.<br />
Ultimately, I believe in a bigger topic, a<br />
wider conversation and more decisive<br />
action from each and every one of our<br />
business and civic leaders across the<br />
country and would love to think that<br />
SaddleUp! could be the inspiration.
iLEAD<br />
by iPlusSALES<br />
KEY<br />
FEATURES<br />
LET THE LEADS COME TO YOU<br />
TARGETED LEAD<br />
GENERATION<br />
Using our in-house iLead system is a great way to<br />
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IN-BUILT<br />
ANALYTICS<br />
See detailed analytics<br />
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Run multiple campaigns at once to better<br />
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FULL HELP AND<br />
SUPPORT<br />
Make the most of our chat helpline during<br />
business hours for any issues or questions you may<br />
be having about any of your campaigns or leads.<br />
ADD-ONS<br />
AVAILABLE<br />
In addition to our standard packages,<br />
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GET A FREE DEMO OF iLEAD TODAY AND SEE HOW YOU COULD INCREASE SALES FOR YOUR BUSINESS<br />
hello@iplusgroup.co.uk | 01242 312121 | www.iplusgroup.co.uk<br />
powered by iPlusGROUP
TALK<br />
OPERATIONS<br />
THE ECOMMERCE<br />
A staggering 17.2 million Brits<br />
have turned their attention to<br />
online shopping in recent times<br />
and it’s a trend that shows no<br />
signs of slowing down.<br />
At Stratford Storage and Distribution (SSD)<br />
we have seen a significant increase in<br />
enquiries and new customers in the<br />
Ecommerce space. It’s an exciting time, for<br />
new and existing online sellers, but the<br />
complexities and jargon can also feel like<br />
a blocker - luckily, we are here to keep it<br />
simple!<br />
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?<br />
Opportunities in Ecommerce, also known<br />
as electronic commerce or internet<br />
commerce, have never been greater yet in<br />
other ways more complicated - including<br />
the confusing Brexit import and export red<br />
tape and the rising costs and limitations to<br />
using fulfilment centres, such as Amazon.<br />
THERE ARE FOUR MAIN TYPES<br />
OF ECOMMERCE:<br />
B2C (Business-to-Consumer)<br />
B2B (Business-to-Business)<br />
C2B (Consumer-to-Business)<br />
C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer)<br />
Product:<br />
If you’re just starting out, the first step is<br />
knowing what products you want to sell<br />
and it’s quite easy to feel like you’re in a<br />
‘sweet shop’ but there’s a few key<br />
questions to ask yourself, to ensure you<br />
create a product offering that’s timely,<br />
relevant and meaningful:<br />
- What products, niches or industry are<br />
you particularly passionate about or<br />
interested in?
- What products, niches or industries are<br />
your friends passionate about?<br />
- What pain points do you have in your<br />
own life?<br />
Storage:<br />
Start-up’s in particular often don’t factor in<br />
storage, both in terms of cost and capacity<br />
(often your living space!) You’ll need to<br />
think about where your product is being<br />
taken once it has been dispatched to you<br />
from the supplier – your home, office, lock<br />
up or unit? All of these options have<br />
overheads and may also not be the most<br />
secure option.<br />
For existing sellers, planning to ensure you<br />
can scale quickly for your business is key,<br />
to ensure you have greater capacity for<br />
both permanent or intermediary space<br />
between your product arriving and going<br />
to a fulfilment centre, such as Amazon.<br />
Fulfilment:<br />
What does fulfilment mean? In essence it’s<br />
the process that ensures your orders leave<br />
where they are stored, in the way that fits<br />
with your offering. It’s important to think<br />
about using a partner who understands<br />
your fulfilment needs - via an easy process,<br />
on time, in great condition and presented<br />
in a way that represents your brand. If you<br />
are existing seller make sure your provider<br />
is able to easily integrate with your<br />
existing platforms; at SSD the Mintsoft<br />
platform meaning sellers can check their<br />
stock in real time, customise their brand<br />
and reporting.<br />
Distribution:<br />
The most important outcome is that orders<br />
are delivered on time, whether it’s to a<br />
fulfilment centre or directly into the hands<br />
of your customers.<br />
If you are a start-up you might have<br />
already spent time queuing at the Post<br />
Office - not ideal if you want to grow the<br />
business and get the best rates for<br />
distribution! Make sure you work with a<br />
partner who gives you great<br />
accountability, with full tracking and proof<br />
of delivery; we think this is absolutely key<br />
to ensuring that your customers get a<br />
great service, and you get peace of mind.<br />
For those operating on a larger scale, from<br />
platforms such as Amazon, QVC and Ebay,<br />
SSD are able to ‘Fulfil By Merchant’ (FBM)<br />
to your customer.<br />
Our experience means we know the areas<br />
that sellers, new and existing, can get<br />
stuck on. Our approach means we can flex<br />
and work with you on your journey, to<br />
grow, scale and everything in between!<br />
Talk to us about how we can support you,<br />
so you get your products into the hands of<br />
your customers in time, cost effect and<br />
stress-free way – you can also download a<br />
copy of our Get Started In Ecommerce<br />
Guide HERE.<br />
<strong>April</strong> marks our 5th Birthday – join us over<br />
on our social channels to celebrate!<br />
Insta: @ssd.ltd<br />
Facebook: /SSDLtd<br />
If you want more information about SSD, you can<br />
visit the website:<br />
www.ssd.uk.net, or call 01789 777 905 and email<br />
at office@ssd.net.uk
MEMBERS<br />
Accounting<br />
A leading independent firm of chartered<br />
accountants in Stratford-upon-Avon, working<br />
with clients across Warwickshire, the wider<br />
Midlands and beyond.<br />
DAFFERNS CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS<br />
www.dafferns.com - 02476 221 046 - sophie.essex-masmoudi@dafferns.com<br />
LEIGH CHRISTOU LTD, ACCOUNTANTS<br />
www.leigh-christou.co.uk - 01926 888 865 - accts@leigh-christou.co.uk<br />
Burgis & Bullock, Warwickshire<br />
Bernard Rogers & Co, Kenilworth & Stratford<br />
Grenfell James Associates, Warwickshire<br />
Murphy Salisbury, Warwickshire<br />
Architects<br />
CORSTORPHINE & WRIGHT ARCHITECTS<br />
www.corstorphine-wright.com - 01926 658 444 - contact@cw-archtiects.co.uk<br />
RICKETT ARCHITECTS & PLANNING CONSULTANTS<br />
www.rickett.co.uk - 01926 291 010 - tracy@rickett.co.uk<br />
Stolwood Architects, Stratford-upon-Avon<br />
Arts and Culture<br />
Motionhouse, Leamington Spa<br />
Beauty<br />
01789 299076 | enq@murphysalisbury.com<br />
www.murphysalisbury.com<br />
iPlusACCOUNTING<br />
01926 422 292<br />
www.hboltd.co.uk<br />
info@hboltd.co.uk<br />
01242 312 121<br />
www.iplusaccounting.co.uk<br />
hello@iplusgroup.co.uk<br />
NEPHOS ACCOUNTANTS<br />
www.nephosaccounting.co - 01242 260590 - info@nephosaccountants.co<br />
SMART BUSINESS RECOVERY LIMITED<br />
www.smartbusinessrecovery.co.uk - 01926 969 000 - gavin@smartbusinessrecovery.co.uk<br />
07739 420 360<br />
hayleykooner@gmail.com<br />
www.hayleykoonerbeauty.co.uk<br />
Business Coach<br />
Branding<br />
Get a competitive edge with creative design.<br />
Neil Morgan Design offers independent<br />
graphic design and project management<br />
services.<br />
07737 551006 | neil@neilmorgandesign.co.uk<br />
www.neilmorgandesign.co.uk<br />
Cleaning<br />
Goldcrest Cleaning Ltd, Warwick<br />
Coaching<br />
Thorne Coaching, West Midlands<br />
Construction<br />
Consultant<br />
01926 429 435<br />
jargyle@aclloyd.com<br />
www.aclloyd.com<br />
Helping successful people become brilliant<br />
leaders through executive coaching,<br />
leadership development and leadership<br />
07802 294 857 | hello@jester-consulting.com<br />
www.jester-consulting.com<br />
07930 147 799<br />
rebecca@guruyoucoach.com<br />
www.guruyoucoach.com<br />
01926 717 911<br />
www.chrysalismidlands.co.uk<br />
kevin.robinson@chrysalispartners.co.uk<br />
07968 358 961<br />
hello@hello-hospitality.co.uk<br />
www.hello-hospitality.co.uk<br />
Will Marr & Co Ltd, Banbury<br />
01926 800 710<br />
www.riskevolves.com<br />
info@riskevolves.com<br />
AUBURN COACHING & CONSULTANCY<br />
www.auburnconsultancy.co.uk - 07920 400 988 - hello@auburnconsultancy.co.uk<br />
LINGARD CONSULTING<br />
www.lingardconsulting.co.uk - 07711 009 393 - paula@lingardconsulting.co.uk<br />
SJM SOLUTIONS - BUSINESS SUPPORT<br />
www.mytonhospice.org - 07771 266 418<br />
UNIQUE & INCLUSIVE WELLBEING<br />
www.uandiwellbeing.co.uk - 07387 079 536 - helen@uandiwellbeing.co.uk<br />
Action Coach Business Coaching, Warwick<br />
Better Normal Ltd, Warwick<br />
Brave Scene, Warwickshire<br />
Risk Quality Solutions, Oxfordshire<br />
Copywriting<br />
Tantamount (Creative Agency), Coventry<br />
Distribution<br />
SSD Limited are a multi-talented family<br />
business offering storage, fulfilment and<br />
distribution services. We pride ourselves on our<br />
professional and client focussed approach.<br />
01789 777905 | office@ssd.uk.net | ssd.uk.net<br />
Education<br />
07850 665 932<br />
rob@responseconsulting.co.uk<br />
www.responseconsulting.co.uk<br />
THE INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATION OF PREP SCHOOLS<br />
www.iaps.uk - 01926 887 833 - iaps@iaps.uk<br />
RightStep, Leamington Spa<br />
Stratford-Upon-Avon College, Warwickshire<br />
Warwickshire College Group, Warwickshire
Financial<br />
Your total business finance provider. With<br />
access to over 40 UK lenders, we provide<br />
quality finance solutions to businesses<br />
across the country.<br />
IT<br />
PINK CONNECT<br />
www.pinkconnect.com - 0345 450 9393 - sales@pinkconnect.com<br />
Insurance<br />
Marketing<br />
iPlusMARKETING<br />
01789 336 318<br />
homeofdarwin.com<br />
michael@homeofdarwin.com<br />
01242 312 121<br />
hello@iplusgroup.co.uk<br />
www.iplusmarketing.co.uk<br />
01242 312 121 | hello@iplusgroup.co.uk<br />
www.iplusfinance.co.uk<br />
Point Me To, Solihull<br />
True Potential Wealth Management, Coventry<br />
Zenith Cost Consultancy, Leamington Spa<br />
First Aid Training<br />
JMP is an independent insurance broker<br />
based in the heart of Cheltenham offering<br />
competitive insurance for all commercial and<br />
lifestyle contracts.<br />
01242 898 387 | info@johngroup.co.uk<br />
www.johnmorganpartnership.co.uk<br />
01926 732 044<br />
netvisibility.co.uk<br />
neil.curtis@netvisibility.co.uk<br />
07768 410097<br />
www.pentacomagency.com<br />
cathryn@pentacomagency.com<br />
02476 232 622<br />
neil_mackey@ajg.com<br />
www.ajg.com/uk/<br />
07794 412 775<br />
www.thetallphotographer.co.uk<br />
charlie@thetallphotographer.co.uk<br />
Food<br />
Tidal Training Direct Ltd are trusted and<br />
gold standard first aid training and<br />
education providers throughout England<br />
and Wales.<br />
01242 371 799 | firstaid@tidaltraining.co.uk<br />
www.tidaltrainingdirect.co.uk<br />
Aubrey Allez, Leamington Spa<br />
Dallas Burston Polo Club, Southam<br />
HR<br />
Health<br />
We’re a creative, strategic<br />
Business Services Agency,<br />
providing services across<br />
the whole HR function<br />
from recruitment, HR,<br />
Organisation Design and<br />
Development and L&D.<br />
07789 221 195<br />
sarahb@freshseed.co.uk<br />
www.freshseed.co.uk<br />
07429 390 430<br />
www.thehrconsultants.co.uk<br />
enquiries@thehrconsultants.co.uk<br />
01242 500 557<br />
hello@hr-star.co.uk<br />
KIRSTY LILLEY, MINDFULNESS TRAINER<br />
07852 251 805 - kirstylilley2903@gmail.com<br />
www.hr-star.co.uk<br />
VOXXLIFE WEARABLE NEUROTECH<br />
ourhealth.voxxlife.com - 07976 158 961 - ourhealth3@outlook.com<br />
Caremark Warwick, Leamington Spa<br />
Concierge Medical, Warwick<br />
Illuminate VR Services Ltd, Warwickshire<br />
Hospitality<br />
STRATFORD PARK HOTEL GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB<br />
www.thestratfordpark.co.uk - 01789 731 857 - golf@thestratfordpark.co.uk<br />
WOOTTON PARK, EVENTS AND BUSINESS CENTRE<br />
www.woottonpark.co.uk - 01564 330 350 - magic@woottonpark.co.uk<br />
Hilton, Warwickshire & Stratford-Upon-Avon<br />
Warwick School Venue and Events, Warwick<br />
MORRISON INSURANCE SOLUTION<br />
www.morrisoninsurance.co.uk - 01789 766 888 - general@morrisoninsurance.co.uk<br />
EML Insurance Brokers, Stratford Upon Avon<br />
WPA Healthcare Practice, Gloucester<br />
WPA Healthcare Practice, Stratford Upon Avon<br />
Legal<br />
Local Authority<br />
Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Warwickshire<br />
Manufacturing<br />
01926 356 000<br />
www.alsterskelley.com<br />
julie.mcgarrigle@alsterskelley.com<br />
01926 883 010<br />
www.wrighthassall.co.uk<br />
emma.marsh@wrighthassall.co.uk<br />
MOORE & TIBBITS SOLICITORS<br />
qualitysolicitors.com - 01926 491 181 - email@moore-tibbits.co.uk<br />
SHAKESPEARE MARTINEAU<br />
www.shma.co.uk - 01789 416 400 - andrew.smith@shma.co.uk<br />
Harper James Solicitors, Sheffield<br />
Hughes Legal Limited, Warwickshire<br />
Lodders Solicitors, Gloucestershire<br />
Spratt Endicott Solicitors, Oxfordshire<br />
WSP Solicitors, Gloucestershire<br />
Since 1959 Vitsœ has made long-living<br />
furniture, always striving to be better rather<br />
than newer, for the many people who share<br />
a profound interest in all of our tomorrows.<br />
01926 936 606 | email@vitsoe.com | www.vitsoe.com/gb<br />
01926 430 510<br />
www.boxfactory.co.uk<br />
sales@boxfactory.co.uk<br />
BLISS MARKETING<br />
07841 577 876 - www.blissmarketing.co.uk - nikki@blissmarketing.co.uk<br />
GLUED - THE BUSINESS OF BRANDING<br />
www.gluedlimited.co.uk - 07787 557 197 - robharrison@gluedlimited.co.uk<br />
THE M GURU<br />
www.themguru.co.uk - tel:07958 478 590 - mguruuk@themguru.co.uk<br />
Footprint Social Media, Stratford Upon Avon<br />
Public Marketing Communications, Leamington Spa<br />
YouNeek Productions, Warwickshire<br />
Media<br />
MATT MADDEN PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
www.mattmadden.photography - 07876 022 498 - matt@mattmadden.photography<br />
SAM STEVENS MEDIA<br />
www.samstevensmedia.co.uk - 07989 301 213 - sam@samstevensmedia.co.uk<br />
Avon Studios Photography, Warwickshire<br />
Photography<br />
I am a very experienced Advertising,<br />
Commercial and Portrait photographer<br />
working for advertising agencies, designers<br />
and direct clients. specialising in portraits,<br />
lifestyle and tourism .<br />
01608 695050 | lorentz@gullachsen.com<br />
www.gullachsen.com<br />
01527 313 250<br />
www.ljonesphotography.co.uk<br />
laurence@ljonesphotography.co.uk<br />
07813 137009<br />
hello@sallycrane.co.uk<br />
www.sallycrane.co.uk<br />
JOHN CLEARY PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
johnclearyphotography.co.uk - 01926 271 128 - talkbusiness@johnclearyphotography.co.uk
Property<br />
Solicitors<br />
Wealth Manager<br />
GRANTCF LTD<br />
www.grantcf.co.uk - 01789 730 380 - sales@grantcf.co.uk<br />
01453 847200<br />
DAVIDSON PERT FINANCIAL ASSOCIATES LTD<br />
A Senior Partner Practice of St. James's Place Wealth Management<br />
MIKE ROBERTS PROPERTY<br />
mikerobertsproperty.com - 01676 532 414 - office@mikerobertsproperty.com<br />
Hygenie Ltd, Nuneaton<br />
Lighting Solutions Plus, Stratford upon Avon<br />
Speakers<br />
www.wspsolicitors.com<br />
marketing@wspsolicitors.com<br />
We work closely with all of our clients,<br />
building a relationship based on trust<br />
and an in-depth understanding of their<br />
personal finances.<br />
The Rosconn Group, Warwickshire<br />
juliekentmbe.com<br />
07966 388 808 | www.davidsonpert.co.uk<br />
gerry.slora@sjpp.co.uk<br />
The Gardensmith, Gloucestershire<br />
Recruitment<br />
Training<br />
Web<br />
THE JOB GURU<br />
www.thejobguru.co.uk - 01242 644 344 - steve@thejobguru.co.uk<br />
Sales<br />
Excelerate Resources finds people for people.<br />
Through our partnerships we work locally and<br />
internationally in all sectors. We have long-term<br />
relationships with employers and candidates,<br />
supported by our networking. A small and<br />
experienced team always happy to chat.<br />
01926 747 606 | david.kelham@excelerateresources.co.uk<br />
www.excelerateresources.co.uk<br />
iPlus Sales are experts in sales lead generation<br />
through both online and offline activity in B2B and<br />
B2C. As a company we are agile and adaptive to the<br />
needs of our clients, our approach a blend of sales<br />
and marketing to provide a comprehensive solution.<br />
01242 312 121 | hello@iplusgroup.co.uk<br />
iplussales.co.uk<br />
Serviced Offices<br />
01242 300 288<br />
www.hoorayworks.co.uk<br />
dan@hoorayworks.co.uk<br />
01676 532 414<br />
www.mikerobertsproperty.com<br />
office@mikerobertsproperty.com<br />
EVOLVE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LTD<br />
evolveglobal.co.uk - 07496 548 382 - afshan@evolve-global.uk<br />
UP FRONT TRAINING AND COACHING<br />
www.uftraining.co.uk - 07795 474 074 - info@uftraining.co.uk<br />
First Impressions Training, Stratford Upon Avon<br />
Purple Monster, Leamington Spa<br />
Travel<br />
NOT JUST TRAVEL<br />
bobgrace.notjusttravel.com - 07484 284 877 - bob.grace@notjusttravel.com<br />
Utilities<br />
RH Utilities Ltd, Warwickshire<br />
Vehicles<br />
Videography<br />
02477 752 772<br />
www.firstsafetytrainingservices.co.uk<br />
alison@firstsafetytrainingservices.co.uk<br />
01789 294831<br />
www.speartravels.net<br />
beverly.clarke@speartravels.net<br />
02476 158 448<br />
www.electriczoo.co.uk<br />
hello@electriczoo.co.uk<br />
01789 416 990<br />
www.definitionmedia.co.uk<br />
info@definitionmedia.co.uk<br />
We design and devekop WordPress<br />
website that show the world how awesome<br />
your business is. With over 10 years<br />
experience, we are commited to<br />
supporting local Warickshire businesses.<br />
BLUE SQUIRREL SOFTWARE<br />
www.blue-sq.co.uk - 01386 800 350 - james@bluemarblestudio.co.uk<br />
Wellbeing<br />
Charities<br />
01789 330 270 | hello@encode.agency<br />
www.encode.agency<br />
GOODWILL AND GROWTH FOR AFRICA UK<br />
www.gaga-uk.org - 01789 414 088 - claire@gaga-uk.org<br />
HEART OF ENGLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION<br />
www.heartofenglandcf.co.uk - 024 7688 3266 - marketing@heartofenglandcf.co.uk<br />
HEART OF ENGLAND MENCAP<br />
heartofenglandmencap.org.uk - 01789 298 709 - support@heartofenglandmencap.org.uk<br />
THE LEUKAEMIA AND INTENSIVE CHEMOTHERAPY FUND<br />
www.lincfund.org - 07900 433 166 - claire.charlton2@nhs.net<br />
THE MYTON HOSPICES<br />
www.mytonhospice.org - 01926 838 815 - sarah.stallard@mytonhospice.org<br />
Join our Directory<br />
07784 558 552<br />
www.illuminatevr.co.uk<br />
lisa.whittleton@illuminatevr.co.uk<br />
By joining the Talk Business UK directory,<br />
you will be featured in our magazine<br />
every month. Take a look at the options:<br />
Social Media<br />
Footprint are experts in social media.<br />
Through bespoke training and careful<br />
management, we work with you to<br />
heighten your business profile.<br />
07877 760411 | sandra@footprintsocialmedia.co.uk<br />
www.footprintsocialmedia.co.uk<br />
Virtual Assistant<br />
01788 521 970<br />
www.elitepasolutions.com<br />
hello@electriczoo.co.uk<br />
0773 895 1211<br />
info@nbusinessservices.co.uk<br />
www.nimdabusinessservices.co.uk<br />
TAYLORMADE BUSINESS SERVICES<br />
www.taylormadeservices.org.uk - 07969 433 590 - louise@taylormadeservices.org.uk<br />
Join our directory, and be featured in<br />
our magazine every month. We have a<br />
number of options and you could have<br />
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www.talkbusinessuk.co.uk<br />
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THE STORY OF THE IMAGE.<br />
Our cover image this month is Talk Business Member Anna Jester’s. This image is<br />
part of her recent branding photography for her business Jester Consulting.<br />
Photo taken by Laurence Jones photography Talk Business member<br />
www.ljonesphotography.co.uk